Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Chapter 5. Violent Teacher
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26.
Chapter 5. Violent Teacher
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A steady rhythm of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
It was the sound of a single woman walking down the palace hallway.
The maids and servants cleaning the corridor froze in surprise at her sudden appearance.
Some of the servants stared blankly at her figure before hurriedly stepping aside.
They knew better than to gawk openly at a noblewoman—it could earn them a scolding.
Her long silver hair reached down to her waist, and her porcelain skin drew every eye around her.
But the emotionless line of her lips and her sharp gaze made it hard for anyone to approach.
The unusual thing was the outfit she wore: men's clothing.
It was a tuxedo-style suit, but a closer look revealed ribbons and lace decorations more suited to a woman's dress.
It was none other than Eirana.
She walked silently down the corridor until she reached Jedmon's office inside the palace.
The guard at the door glanced at Eirana and lightly knocked.
He, too, was part of Winsor's private knight order, just like her—his cover was as a guard at Jedmon's entrance.
Once permission came from inside, he opened the door.
As Eirana entered, Jedmon looked up from his papers.
"It suits you."
His words were businesslike but sincere.
Eirana crossed her arms as she watched Jedmon smile faintly.
"I could've just worn full men's clothes."
"You'd look good in anything, but for now, you're the princess's tutor. Normally, a woman would wear a dress, but we compromised on this design since you found them uncomfortable."
Eirana nodded at his matter-of-fact tone.
She hadn't even glanced at the dresses they'd first brought her.
"So, do I go meet the princess now?"
Technically, Jedmon was her superior, but she didn't bother with formal speech.
He didn't seem to mind.
"First, you need to meet the princess's current etiquette tutor. You'll get a handover from him, then go see her."
Surprisingly, Eirana had been assigned as the etiquette tutor.
She'd never actually studied etiquette herself, but it was all a cover identity anyway.
No need for a rigorous vetting process.
Besides, she had an intimidating charisma that kept people at bay.
Judging that it aligned somewhat with etiquette, Winsor had assigned her to teach Princess Lea.
The princess had been steeped in palace manners since childhood, so she didn't need to learn anything particularly difficult.
'Etiquette, huh.'
Eirana muttered inwardly.
In truth, it was wildly unbalanced for her to teach etiquette.
Erannis had never once given her any lessons in manners after she was born.
Erannis herself was as far from etiquette as one could get.
As such, she'd only ever given Eirana one rule for dealing with others—and nothing else in the way of social skills.
That rule was simple.
Beings you can hit. Beings you can't hit.
"......"
As she walked with Jedmon, Eirana recalled it and furrowed her brow.
Luckily, she had memories from her past life. Without them, she'd have turned into an even more ill-tempered dragon than she was now.
'Even more ill-tempered? Just thinking about it is terrifying.'
Lost in her thoughts, she soon arrived at someone's door.
A light knock brought a weary voice granting entry.
As Eirana followed Jedmon inside, the first thing she saw was the room filled with bookshelves.
The owner was clearly a book lover.
The second was the elderly scholar seated at a desk in the center.
This old man was the princess's current etiquette tutor.
Etiquette included not just basic manners but cultivation as well.
And cultivation was inseparable from books, so elderly scholars often took on such roles.
The scholar rose upon seeing Jedmon.
"What brings you here?"
"You've worked hard."
Jedmon gave a wry smile at the somehow exhausted-looking man.
"Starting today, you no longer need to tutor the princess, Obec."
The scholar called Obec widened his eyes.
"I-Is that true?"
He seemed relieved, almost joyful.
Eirana narrowed her eyes at the reaction.
"Yes. Miss Eirana here will take over."
Jedmon gestured to her, and Eirana greeted Obec.
Obec looked mildly surprised that a young woman would be the new etiquette tutor, but his face soon darkened.
"It'll be tough on you. Good luck."
"......"
Jedmon let out a deep sigh, and Eirana nodded slightly.
After receiving a few details from Obec, Eirana walked down the corridor and spoke to Jedmon.
"She seems like quite the problem child."
"The princess is... a bit lively."
"Lively enough to cross the line?"
"......"
Eirana teased, having caught the fatigue in Obec's eyes, and Jedmon sighed as if nursing a headache.
- Hey, master, master. You gonna hit her?
Silver Fang spoke up then.
Silver Fang and Black Fang's main bodies were stored on the backs of Eirana's left and right hands, respectively.
It was one of their abilities as divine swords.
'Do I really seem that violent to you?'
- Yeah.
Silver Fang answered without hesitation.
As Eirana pondered how to punish him for that, Jedmon stopped walking.
In front of an ornate door stood female knights guarding it.
They eyed Eirana curiously as she appeared with Jedmon but announced his arrival without question.
"Your Highness, Sir Jedmon is here."
"Let him in."
A clear, resonant princess's voice replied to Jedmon's firm tone.
The knights opened the door at her permission.
As Eirana followed Jedmon in, her impression was that it was unmistakably a princess's room.
Especially eye-catching were the countless stuffed dolls.
While Eirana took in the girly room, Princess Lea smiled faintly at Jedmon before giving Eirana a puzzled look.
"Who's she?"
"This is Eirana. She'll be your etiquette tutor starting today."
"Etiquette tutor?"
Princess Lea covered her mouth in surprise as she asked again.
"I'm Eirana."
Eirana bowed her head slightly in introduction.
Princess Lea eyed her suspiciously.
She had silver-gray hair like Crown Prince Winsor and striking blue eyes, giving her an adorably cute appearance.
The problem was the mischief glinting in those big eyes.
'What a nasty temperament.'
That was Eirana's first impression of the princess.
The princess, who had been sitting primly sipping tea, stood with a sweet smile, lightly gripping her skirt hems and curtsying.
"Pleased to meet you, Lady Eirana. I'm Lea Willa el Ru Adea. I look forward to working with you."
Nothing to critique in the greeting.
It was perfect etiquette.
After the greeting, Lea tilted her head a moment later.
"But are you my brother's lover, Lady Eirana?"
Jedmon turned away and clutched his face at the bizarre question from their first meeting.
It was absolutely not something to ask a stranger.
A complete breach of manners. Eirana smiled faintly in response.
"No."
"Oh? Ho ho ho."
Lea laughed ladylike, covering her face.
Once the brief introductions ended, Jedmon looked worriedly at Eirana before bowing to Lea and leaving the room.
Click.
The door closed, and a long silence followed.
The princess broke it.
Lea propped her chin on the table, legs crossed, and spoke to Eirana with a mischievous expression.
"You're really not my big brother's concubine?"
"......"
The atmosphere had completely flipped from moments ago.
She was openly looking down on Eirana, who was young enough to seem like a fellow tutor rather than an elder.
At first glance, the age gap between Eirana and Lea appeared to be only five or six years.
Eirana, already aware from others' reactions that the princess was a handful, recalled the previous tutor's response and sighed in understanding.
As Eirana stayed silent, Lea continued.
"You look pretty decent, at least."
Eirana spoke while watching her malicious gaze.
"Use words befitting a princess."
"Huh? It's fine. I act the part in front of others."
Open insolence.
She surely knew Winsor had arranged this tutor himself.
Lea giggled before clapping lightly.
"Why don't you brew some tea before we start the lesson?"
Treating her like a full-on maid.
Eirana picked up the tea set from the corner and approached Lea.
Lea looked satisfied as Eirana obeyed meekly.
Eirana lifted the teapot.
Glug, glug, glug.
"Huh?"
Lea let out a dumb sound.
Eirana had tilted the pot and poured the lukewarm water inside right over Lea's head.
"Lover?"
Eirana smiled at the uncomprehending princess.
"Concubine?"
The expression faded from Eirana's face.
"Tea?"
Eirana glared down at the princess with terrifying eyes, water dripping from her head.
And as Lea finally grasped the situation and started to rage—
"Have you lost your mind? Spouting nonsense to a stranger!"
With a shout, the tray holding the tea set slammed into Lea's face.
"Agh!"
A scream tore from Lea's mouth.
The tea set crashed to the floor with a clamor.
But Eirana didn't care. She hurled the tea set aside and drove her fist into Lea's abdomen as the girl clutched her face.
The body of a princess—no less—bent into a ㅋ shape.
"You'll learn some sense after a beating!"
She began kicking the fallen Lea.
The princess shrieked at the sudden violence and abuse, but Eirana was no one to stop for that.